Plat tables… a must-have new home sales tool!
Brian Flook, MIRM

Brian Flook is president of Power Marketing & Advertising. Reach him at bflook@power-marketing.com

Plat tables… a must-have new home sales tool!

I have often asked sales teams which tool in their arsenal of sales tools they would give up last. Immediately behind the model home is often the plat table. I am surprised how often I come into a new home sales center only to find there is no plat table. I believe it is one of the most important selling tools available.

Here’s why. The key issue is personal space. Every person has an invisible boundary around them that dictates the edges of their personal space. It’s their comfort zone for public conversation. Some people have much larger personal spaces than others. Americans tend to require more personal space than other cultures. They will feel that you are “in their face” if you get too close.

The central factor behind personal space is intimacy. The closer I let you get the more intimate it feels. The average person has about a two-foot personal space comfort zone. Invade their personal space and you will get feedback in one form or another: they may back up, they may immediately shut down, and they may even ask you to back off. Almost always they will retreat in one-way or another.

The beauty of a plat table is that is creates a comfort zone where you can have a conversation without invading someone’s personal space. By creating this comfort zone, you can now get prospects to slow down, stop and carry on a conversation. The longer you are with a customer, the more likely they are to purchase.

What’s inside the plat table is important, but having one is more important. I recommend using the plat table for one of two things: a plat of the “currently selling” section of home sites or an overall community plat showing amenities, sporting fields, water features, and other important community characteristics.

The value is that you can now carry on a relaxed conversation without violating the person’s personal space and simultaneously begin closing and educating the prospect on the specifics of the community.

Of all the point-of-purchase selling tools, the plat table carries significant weight. Don’t overlook this valuable selling tool when you create your next sales center.

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